He forced his feet to move, and couldn’t have described a single item he passed on the trip back to his vehicle.
Roderick strolled to the passenger side and grinned while Hone watched with nerves bouncing around his gut. Cassie had climbed from his vehicle and leaned against the front in the shade. She wore one of her pretty dresses, this one green and covered with red roses. His dragon growled, low and mean, but Roderick didn’t hesitate.
“Hello, darlin’. You must be Cassie. I’m Roderick, a friend of Hone’s.”
The woman whisperer. That’s what they called him, and now that he was single again, his job was to attract maidens from other tribes. Not many unmated women could resist him, and Hone steeled himself for the fallout.
“Hi.” Cassie’s gaze flicked over Roderick’s naked chest and back to his face. “I’m pleased to meet you. Hone said you’d lend us your vehicle. Thank you for helping us.”
“You’re welcome, darlin’.” He picked up her right hand and lifted it to his lips.
Hone growled the entire time, and he almost lost it when Roderick pressed a kiss to her wrist.
Cassie tugged her hand free. “Are you related to him?”
“Distant relations.”
“Figures. You’re all flirts.”
“You wound me,” Roderick said and winked at Hone.
“I doubt it,” Cassie said. “Every one of Hone’s cousins are terrible flirts. It must be something in the water.”
“It’s bred into our genes,” Roderick replied.
Hone leaned into his vehicle and grabbed a hat from the glovebox, his pulse lowering to a more regular speed. “Put on your hat, Cassie. I’ll grab our bags.”
“Hone, I’ll park your vehicle in the garage and won’t use it unless the weather changes.” His nostrils flared as he tested the air. “Won’t happen this weekend.”
A few minutes later, they were on their way, driving down tree-lined streets, past wooden bungalows that were some of the oldest and most expensive houses in Auckland.
“Want to listen to music?” Hone asked, still not believing Cassie’s reaction to Roderick. Deep in his gut, he sensed Cassie was the one for him.
“Yes, please. Actually, I wouldn’t mind listening to the news first.” She leaned forward and turned the power switch before Hone could use the driver’s controls.
A deep male voice came through the speakers. “…a scrub fire north of Whangarei is causing concern. Firefighters and a helicopter are on the scene. Police suspect the fire was deliberately lit…”
“How can people do that? It’s so dry at this time of the year.”
“We have relatives up there,” Hone said. “It can’t be too bad yet because they would have contacted Auntie June.” He spoke without thinking and silently cursed at Cassie’s arched eyebrows. “Auntie June is the organizer in our family. She gets things done,” he added before she could ask her questions.
The news ended, and Hone switched to the music system.
He took the turning to the motorway and drove over the Auckland harbor bridge. Yachts and small fishing boats darted across the water, leaving swirling white waves in their wake.
“There’s a cruise ship in today,” Cassie said as she glanced back at the cityscape.
“Yeah, we get quite a few over the summer months.”
“Where are we staying?”
“I’ve booked a room not far from Matakana. One room.”
“One bed?”
“Yes.” Hone waited for her reaction.
“We’re going to share the bed?”
